From the reviews: "The book should be acquired by all libraries with an interest in glass science and applications...the title will endure for many years as the standard work on the properties of optical glass." Optical Systems Engineering

Seven independently-authored chapters consider selected topics related to the rapidly growing interest in optical glass among scientists who were hitherto satisfied with opaque ceramics. They cover oxide, halide, and photochromic glasses; nonlinear optical properties; optical basicity; optical fiber

For more than 400 years, optical glass has provided mankind with a window into both the hidden microcosm and vast outer cosmos of the known universe, transforming philosophy, science, and engineering through its visage and, thus, shaping modern civilization. Its high transmittance, homogeneity, and precisely defined light refraction properties are the preconditions for highly resolved true-color imaging, making it an intrinsic component of technology in general. From consumer products, such as cameras and binoculars, to microscopes and telescopes-the most essential tools of research in many fields-the role of optical glass is integral to the very foundations of modern science and industry.

Modern optical technology calls for new glasses with special properties for optical and optoelectronic devices. This text, based on modern quantum optical theories, aims to relate optical and spectroscopic properties to the composition and structure of glass-forming materials.